¶ Prologus IN the name of ower sauiour criste Iesu maker redemour of al maÌ„kynd I LaureÌ„s aÌ„drewe of y e towne of Calis haue translated for IohnÌ„es does bo rowe booke prenter in the cite of And warpe this pÌ„sent volume deuyded in thre partes whiche was neuer before in no maternall langage prentyd tyl now The naturall maister Aristotell saith that euery body be the course of nature is enclyned to here se all that refressheth quickeneth the spretys of man wherfor I haue thus in this boke folowiÌ„ge written the nature of many bestys on erthe fowles in the ayre fysshes in the water whiche be wonderfull and maruelous to be herde of and how these forsaid be natured and fourmed whiche be figured at euery chapter ¶ And first of all I wyll speke of man because he is moste worthyest to be spoken of for he is created made like vnto the similitude of almighty god and than of all thinges that is created of almighty god to the behoue of mankynde wherby he shold be sustayned preserued of the whiche he shall answere for at the dredfull daye of iugemeÌ„t before our redemour the right wis Iuge of all such thiÌ„ges as he hath mysused that god of his infenyte grace hathe made hym lorde of cÌ„ Ca. Primo of the nature of man THe creatour that hathe created all thinge of nought our sauiour maister cryste that is lorde almighty hathe made vpon the .vi. day our fore fader Adam in the felde of damascâ— of of red erthe there he gaue vnto him bothe lyfe â—owle where thrugh he is becom man figured lyke vnto the symylitude of almyghty god and than made hym lorde of all erthly thinges and gaue hym grace thrugh his glorious godhede shaped in hym suche wyt sapience that there was neuer erthly man that had the coÌ„ninge that he had And than dyd Adam geue vnto euery thynge that is vnder heuen his perfyte name Whan this was done than dyd he set Adam in Paradys terrester there caused him to slepe out of his syde he toke a rybbe ther of he made Eua. Also god hath made y e planetes and sterres of the fyer the wyndes fowles of y e ayre y e fysshes of the water and man of erthe wherfore whan man beholdeth y e thynges made of the water than shall he fynde hymselfe very symple but whaÌ„ne he beholdeth y t that is made of the ayre thaÌ„ shall he fynde hymselfe moche more sympler yett whan he beholdith y t that god hath made of the fyre thaÌ„ is the most symplest of al and man shall nat lyke hymselfe to heueÌ„ly thynges noâ— accept hymself better thaÌ„ an erthly thynge for that he fyndeth and the bestis also and this is to be vnderstaÌ„d of y e bodi of man which body was first named Adam whaÌ„ne that our lorde 〈…〉 â—ous godhed he gaue vnto hym incontynent a coÌ„uenyent and perfyte rule lawe whiche he sholde holde kepe and this it was That he in all thoughtes wordes and workes neuer sholde thinke or wisshe of any other worse in no maner of wyse than he wolde that of hym sholde fortune Than sholde he kepe the way of rightwisnes and egalite Whan he had receyued this commandement of the heuenly kynge he stode vp naked before the hye Lorde of myght sainge thus O my lorde my god that hathe with thy heuenly handes made me a naturall bodye of vyle erthe and knet in methe humanite of fleshly nature with bones senewes to go on the grownde wherfore I beseche the lorde remeÌ„ber that thou haste made me geue me that lyfe grace that thou hast ordayned me to ¶ This our fader Adam was y e comlyest fayrest and best made that euer was on grownde of al the meÌ„bres of his body And our lorde hath shed in hyÌ„ so gret abundance of graces that no man is to hym comparable fore he was illumyned with all the seuen sciences ¶ He had also knowlege of all maner of erbis their properties and vertues of trees of metalles of stones byrdes bestys fysshes serpentis of all other thinges on erthe and the fadere of heuen commaunded alle theese forna med to be of the worlde brought before hym to thente that he sholde knowe them and geue them their names whiche they kepe euer shall whylest y e worlde endureth ¶ ClaraÌ„ preteres 〈…〉 xpÌ„i incarnationeÌ„ et passioneÌ„ solus asse qui coÌ„meruit vt in supplemeÌ„to supplementi ¶ Herfor was Adam made lorde and gouernour of the worlde and all thingines therin pertayning sholde to him be obedient Thus was Adam infenyt and not of the condicyon of nature but of the benefites of grace For the infenytnes coÌ„meth out of the tree of lyfe and the body sholde neuer haue dyed yf it had nat synned whan man had synned than was he roued from the tre of lyfe Yet nat withstandiÌ„ge the body is made of the foure elemeÌ„tis as before it is specifyed in that body be ij.c.xlij bones great and small ¶ Of the makinge of maÌ„nes 〈…〉 â–ª THe Man is Lorde and ender of all thiÌ„ges here on erthe and is also the moste perfitest and full made thinge of all leuynge creatures that euer god created as the scripture testefieth criste blewe lyfe into hym and of a rybbe he made him an helpe to the entente whan they come roged through full power that he them gaue that they sholde engender ExempluÌ„ whan he saide Cresite waxe and multiply through thencreasinge of y e sede And thus he hathe created man woman because they sholde bringe forth of their sede which sede is named sperma and is a profitable parte of y e fode coÌ„mynge after the first disiestyon and that sperma is apoynted to frutefull vessell is to the entent that our humanite sholde contynewe the lenger and nat ende But he that soweth tomoche of this sede that is to vnderstande they that occupy tomoche with womeÌ„ they wex sone feble of lyÌ„mes and dye within shorte space Wherfore Galienus saith he that is gelded may lyue a loÌ„ge season and men that haue but lytell conuersacyon with womeÌ„ may lyue longer than women for they be hoter of nature ¶ Here after foloweth the. teâ— ages of mankynde lykened be y e ten dyuers bestis as here is expresly shewed and how the nâ—ture of mankynde dothe chauÌ„ge from ten yere dethe coÌ„meâ— tyme of â—eth hiÌ„ as a gose y t iâ—to lucke y e freÌ„des 〈◊〉 it he in erthe is 〈…〉 SaÌ„ctus Augustinê° ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ vpon thesame that before is specifyed of the makyng of man in his moders wombe AVgustinus saith of the making of maÌ„nes body whan that sperâ—a is receyued in the dewe place of yeâ—oders body than is that sede formed â—efome or mylke in y e first .vi. daeys 〈◊〉 in thre dayes folowiÌ„ge it maketh â—reparacyn of the lyfe in forme of lyâ—pympels or
Vnycorne is a stronge beste and can nat lightely be taken be no meaners but yet some say y t they y e huÌ„te him set maydeÌ„s in the place that they hunt in in the chasinge whan it seeth the mayde to her it roÌ„neth and layeth the hede in the maydens lappe forgetinge all y e chase than come the hunters and take her without endred for she slepis in the maydens lappe for ioye of her virginite And whan it wakeneth and fyndeth himselfe taken of the hunters than dyeth this beste for very great pride and the horne of htis beste is four fote longe and is very costely is a preseruacyon for many maner of poysons Cap. c.lij. THe ape is a beste hauinge many liknesses vnto man hauiÌ„ge her brestis before contrary to all other bestes hath handes fete to ocopye like man or womaÌ„ but his nature is w t the face dounwardes maÌ„nes towardes heuen the ape is euer going from one place to another ¶ Plinius saith that in Inde be apes that be all whyte y e ape plaieth gladly with yonge chylderen but if he sawe his tyme he wolde wory them It hath also a natural vnderstaÌ„dinge they dwell in hye trees they that wyll take theÌ„ bringe yong children to the wode wher y e apes be put shone on their fete make theÌ„ fast in presens of the apes y t be on y e trees than put theÌ„ of leue them there go a syde thaÌ„ coÌ„meth the apes downe put on those shone so they be taken ¶ Thus is ended the first parte of this present volume wherin we haue treated to the lawde and prayse of almighty god of y e bestis and wormes on erthe with their properties vertues And nowe I shall treat to you of the birdes of the ayre and of their nature and properties the whiche be created of our sauiour cryst IhuÌ„ whom I call to my helpe in all my besines that he wyll geue me grace to treat of this mater a right ¶ Of the generacyon of the birdes in the ayre DAyly to vs is shewed y e graces of almighti god wherof we ought to geue laudes thankes to his glorious godhed for his Infenyte goodnes and vnderstandynge that he hath shaped in mankynde to haue a parfyte redy knowlege of all erthly thiÌ„ges as it is to be perceiued be this present volume and seconde Boke where as we fynde written of the generacion of the birdes or fowles of the ayre as here after ensueth ¶ Ye shall vnderstande y t dyuers Byrdes laye theyr egges but ones in the yere as birdes that leue be 〈…〉 â—kes Goâ—hawkes Fawcons and suche lyke Some there be that lay their egges dyuers tymes and bredeth often as downes or howse heÌ„nes and those leue often tymes but a shorte season this is the cause for the mete that they ere is moste parte chaunged or turned into sperma or nature and of the sperma of the heÌ„nes be formed the egges wherof the moystest parte is chauÌ„ged to the whyte of the egge and the driest or erthy parte becoÌ„meth yelowe and rownde and layeth in the myddes of the egge and is the yolke And therto dothe the cocke geue the semynall or y e frutfull spretes and without the company of the cocke the egges be on frutfull For diuers tymes the heÌ„nes doth laye egges without to doynge of any thinge or bespringinge of any heÌ„ne or kyssinge or smellynge of any cocke or blaste of the Sothern wynde and all those be but wynd egges and on frutefull And the heÌ„ne desyreth nat so moche coÌ„uersacion as the cocke doth and therfor is one cocke sufficient amonge many hennes ¶ Nota. ¶ The whyte of the egge is moyste warme and therin is repeÌ„ded the fruteful sprete of the cocke thrugh the hete whan the heÌ„ne sitteth on the egges it is changed on the thirde day or there about For in the whyte of the egge be the sharp ende semeth a drope of blode and therof is made the hart of the cheken withiÌ„ x. days al the lyÌ„mes be made therof is the hede gretest And in the other x. dayes be the lyÌ„mes stretched and expresly ordeyned and beginneth to quicken bere lyfe thrugh the grace of almyghty god 〈…〉 in the shell it hathe the hede vpon the right fote the right wynge couereth the hede But they come first into the worlde with the fete out at the sharpe ende of the egge And out of the longe egges come the cockes And out of the ronde egges come the hennes ¶ Of the thre partes or regions of the ayre HErause that we shold shewe here of the birdes of the ayre I wyll first wryte vnto you of the plases or regyons of y e ayre and howe many regions ther be wherin they be suported Ye shall vnderstande that the ayre is deuyded in thre partes or regions of the ayre As first the hyest the mydel moste and the lowest The vpermoste Region of the ayre is be the course and elemeÌ„t of the fyre is warme of the firye elementis and the sterres that element is pure lyke the fyre and in that hyest regyon it is very styll ther is nouther wyÌ„de nor rayne as it hathe be proued of theÌ„ that hathe bene on mountaynes that reched into the hyest Elemente or Re gion of the ayre and on the hyest place of one of those mouÌ„taynes they wrote letters in the sonde went their waye and come agayne at the yeres ende founde those letters as perfyte and ful comly made as they were at the fyrst houre y t they were writen in y e sande Of the seconde element or Region of the ayre THe mydelmoste Region is very farre frome the firye Regyon or element so that it can take no hete of it And it is also to farre frome the erthe so that it can take no hete of the radies or souÌ„e beames and it is a place full of darkenes tempest And also a dwel lynge place of a parte of those fendes euyll spretis that fell with Lucifer out of the kyngdome of heuen and ther is engendered the watery impressyous as snowe rayne hayle suche lyke Of the thirde element or Region of the ayre THe lowest region or parte of the ayre is layd be the water and be the erth and that parte is lighted and warmed through the bright shinyng of the sonÌ„e and that fortuneth more y e one tyme than the othe accordynge to the seasons of the yere Capitulo Primo THe Egle is a byrde wyth sharpe talentis y t whiche hath a sharpe sight he flieth of a mighti heght aboue the watery clowdes so hye that no man can se him yet whan he is at his moste heght than seeth he the fisshes iÌ„ y e water as sone as he spyeth theÌ„ thaÌ„ descendeth he as swyft as an arowe out of a bowe gripeth that fisshe out
coÌ„plexcion AS now the coÌ„mon 〈◊〉 fiue wittes vttermoste be stopped throughe slepe than fortuneth the sleper often tymes to dreme of suche thinges as he was wakinge dilygently occupiedâ—â— besy w t in his mynde for whaÌ„ the wyttes dothe slepe than ouerthynketh he the same agayne ofteÌ„tymes that he desyred or longed for whan he wakened he thynketh in his slepe y t he seeth it or hathe goten it The melancoly saithe that he hathe sene fowle thynges ferâ— formes oâ— lykenesses offendes y t fortuneth often whan the body is troubled or meued with medicynes or bathes The colericke dremeth of fyre of water of manslaghter c. The flematike dremeth often that he sitteth in the water or in the snowe oâ— that he eteth honye or suche other lyke of moystnes whiche causeth oftentymes swete flemis to fal vpon their tonges The sanguyne dremeth often tymes through ouermoche influeÌ„ce of blode that he seeth spretes as the fayres â—obyn gode felowe or suche lyke c. And the naturall maisters saye y t it is a warnynge or maner of to comynge payne or dysease named Apopleria wherfore it is couÌ„seyled to all suche that they shall abstayne them frome to moche etynge or drynkinge And specially to abstayne them frome suche metes and drinkes as here be expressed That is to vnderstande flesshe egges and wyne and also from all other metis that cause gret influence of blode Many one dremeth lainge in his bed that he standeth vpryght and pysseth against a wall as the yonge childeren do y t dreme of their playe done be daye in the strete Somtyme nature laboureth so sore in the slepe for to purifye y e kydne is that the sleper dremeth of lechery concupiscens of the flesshe as kyssinge helsinge on lawfull handelynge whiche is very inordinate ¶ The operation of mankynde ¶ Auicenna saith that fastinge specyll kylleth the scorpyon temper camfer with spetyll that kylleth the itche named Impedigo if it rubbed vpon it Spetyll dropped in the eere where as a worme is in whether it be dede or quicke it shall bringe it out Eer swete or eer waxe is gode to be layde to the hede that is pained with the migrane It is also gode to be striked ouer cloueÌ„ lyppes for that heleth them ¶ The vryne or water of mankynde wyll hele suche itches as breketh oute yf it be wasshed therwith it preserueth from the crepynge itche and also other drye itches and from al other to comynge sores in the ioyntes Vryne dronke w t water cicer water hony is gode for the yelowe iawnes ¶ The dregges of the vryne layd to Colerica apostumacion named Heresipila it heleth it ¶ Diascorides ¶ The donge of man layde to a wouÌ„d preserueth it fro swellynge the douÌ„ge pressed the wete of it layde to a swellynge of the throte or any other swellynge or impostume or olde sore and it heleth it ¶ Of the LaÌ„me Cap. ê‘mo IN the begiÌ„nynge we haue the LaÌ„me because he is the moste mekest beste leuinge for it offeÌ„deth nobody and all that he hathe on him is gode y e fles she for to eate the skynne to make parthemeÌ„t or ledder the donge for 〈◊〉 the felde the clawes hornes be mede cinable he dredeth the wolfe sore he knoweth his daÌ„me best be her bleting though she be amonge many shepe ¶ The Operacion ¶ The LaÌ„me that soucketh his daÌ„me hath his flesshe very slymie nat lowable and it will nat be disgested principally of them that haue cold stomakes laÌ„mes of a yere olde be better lighter to disgest they make gode blode and specyally they be gode for theym that be hote drye of complexcyon dwell in a hote and drye lande laÌ„mes flesshe is very gode for one that is hole lusti but for theim y t be seke it is very euyll though it lightely disgest and descende out of the maw yet it is euyll for other partes of the body for it maketh slimy humours ¶ AuiceÌ„na saith that the blode of a laÌ„me mengyd with wyne is gode for the fallinge sekenes The roncell of the laÌ„me heleth the bytynges of venymous bestis ¶ Albertus saith that the mary of a laÌ„me melted with nutte oyle and suger mengid togeder distilled in a stilletory named an El dren tree and than dronken breketh the stone in the bladder and it is gode for them that haue payne in their yarde coddes and kidneys also for them tha pisse blode ¶ Nota the gall of a laÌ„me enoynted vpon a caÌ„cred sore helpeth expresly ¶ Also he that wyl helpe morayn amonge shepe take veÌ„tremariets and sethe that with wyne and meâ—ge it with water and put that in the drynke of the shepe and they shall therwith sone be holpen ¶ Of the RaÌ„me or weddr Ca. iijo. YSydorus sayth that the raÌ„me or wedder is the lodysman of other shepe and he is the male or man of the oye and is stronger than the other shepe he is also called a wedder because of a worme that he hath in his hede whan that begiÌ„neth for to stirre than wyll he tucke and feght and he fereth naturally the thonder as other shepe dothe For whan a shepe is with frute hering the thonder she casteth her frute and bryngeth it dede to the worlde and the wedder in the tyme that he be spryngeth the oye than is it in the tyme of loue amonge the shepe and the RaÌ„me or wedder wyl feght boldly for theyr wyues one with another ¶ ysaac sayth that y e weder y e bucke other suche lyke bestes haue eche by theÌ„selfe an indiffereÌ„t fouÌ„d of their voyce in callynge of their wyues in y e ty me of engendriÌ„ge loue they y t drynke than salte water thei be wackened or styred to engendrynge soner than other be before their tyme comynge whan y e olde wethers begyn to engeÌ„der before y e yonge wethers that the yonge kepe their due tyme y t is a good signe in that yere but whaÌ„ the yonge begynne before the olde that is a tokeÌ„ of tocomyÌ„ge morayne or dethe amonge the shepe Esculapius saith Whan an oliphant seeth a ramme or wether he is therof afrayde and gothe from hym The Operacion ¶ The flesshe of a yoÌ„ge wether that is gelded is moch better than any other motton for it is nat so moyste as other motton and it is hoter and whan it disgesteth well it maketh gode blode but the flessh of an oled raÌ„me wyl nat lightely disgest that is very euyll ¶ AuiceÌ„na saith that raÌ„mes flessh burned brayed to powder strewed vpoÌ„ the drye lepory named morpheus is gode for the bytynge of a serpent or scorpion mengyd w t wyne it is gode for the bytinge of a madde dogge The longes of a wether is gode to hele the skyn that is broken on the hele whan it is layde therto ¶ Esculâ—pius saith the longes soden in a potte whan
and eteth that vp and the Pellicane is of white colour and euer it is lene Cap. xcvi PEerdix is a byrde very wylye the cockes feght oftentymes for the heÌ„nes and these byrdes flye of no heght and they put theyr hedes in the erthe they thinke y t they thaÌ„ be well hyâ—eÌ„ for whaÌ„ she seeth nobody she thinketh y t nobody seeth here she bredeth out other ê‘triches egges for whaÌ„ she hath lost her eges thaÌ„ she steleth other egges bredeth theÌ„ whaÌ„ they be hatched y t they can go on the grouÌ„de than this daÌ„me setteth theÌ„ out of y e nest but whan they be a brode here the wyse of theyr owne daÌ„mes incoÌ„tinent they leue theyr daÌ„me y t brought theÌ„ vp go to their owne natural daÌ„me thaÌ„ she y t brought theÌ„ vp hath lost her labour The Operacion The flesshe of a ê‘triche is â—ost holsomest of all wylde fowles y e brest vppermoste parte of y e bodie is the swetest hathe the best sauoure but y e hinder parte is nat so swete The gal w t marys milke is good for the sight of thyeÌ„ Haly The lyuer dryed robbed to pouder thaÌ„ droÌ„ken is good for y e falliÌ„ge sekenesse Pliniê° The brothe y t he hath be sodeÌ„ in is good fore y e sekenesse regio named seint cornelis sekenesse Cap. xcvij. PIca is a Pye the whiche byrde is subtyle and false and he hath a brode toÌ„ge therfor he lerneth lightly to speke he maketh his nest with .ij. holes the one he crepeth in at and the other his tayle hangeth oute at and he festeneth it withinforth wyth lome and claye and so maketh it very close and without it is stronge of wode The Operacion The flesshe of this byrde is good to be eten for to gete the sight of the iyen ¶ It is lately fortuned of a trouthe y t thei fought a batayle agaynst the ia yes in suche maner y t ther were many pyes slayne but yet they woÌ„ne y e feld and threwe to y e grownde thirty thousand iayes Cap. xcviij PIcus is a speght is a birde that heweth w t his bill grete holes in a tre he fedeth hys yonges there in y t hol of the tree And yf any body stroke in a great nayle or pine of wode ouer twharte the hole to lett hiÌ„ that he shold nat come to his yonges than dothe he fetche an herbe and layeth it to y e pyÌ„ne and as sone as it hathe touched the piÌ„ne than it fleeth out by and by and he coÌ„meth to his yonges at his will how strongly so euer it be made before Cap. xcix PIrales be great flyes with .iiij. fete w t wyÌ„ges they flee into y e middes of y e fyre and they burne theÌ„ nat for the fyre doth theÌ„ no harme for as longe as they be in the fyre they leue and wtin a shorte whyle after thate they be out of the fyre they dye Cap. C THe Popingay is bred in India is of a grene colour w t a rede ryÌ„ge about his necke he hath a brode toÌ„ge lenreth wel fore to speke he may away with all manere of waters but the rayne water killeth theÌ„ and he bredeth moche in the montayns of Gelboe wher as Saul was felled for ther coÌ„meth seldeÌ„ rayne for whaÌ„ saul was felled Dauid was very woo prayed to almighty god as it is testefyed in y e sauter boke this maner sainge Lorde god I pray y e lat not desceÌ„de rayne nor dew where as is feld y e streÌ„gthes of Israhel after that there falleth no wat nor dewe yet but it bideth alway drye this birde reioyseth him selfe in a maydenly vysage and he waxeth dronkeÌ„ in wyne Cap. c.i. POrphirio is a birde y t goeth on y e grouÌ„de swiÌ„meth in y e water he hath one close fote another open whaÌ„ he will drinke thaÌ„ he taketh wat wyth his close fote bringeth it to his mouth than drinketh and he fedeth hym lyke a man for after euery mor sel that he eteth he drinketh he hath a great bylle longe legges his mete will nat well disiest Cap. C.ij REgulus y t is y e wreÌ„ne is a lytell birde whiche wold be king of al byrdes the egle wolde be kiÌ„ge because he was stroÌ„ge coude flye hyest in y e ayre than sayde the wreÌ„ne he y t flieth hyest of vs bothe shal be kynge ther w t they began to flee the wreÌ„ne gate him vnder the winges of the egle and whan they ware at the hyest than the wreÌ„ne flewe out sate vpon y e hede of the egle sayd now arte thou ouer woÌ„ne as the fable testefyeth Cap. C.iij. SCrabones dothe growe out of roten fowle horse flesshe and y e waspes brede in hye walles they make theyr nest w t lome the scrabones brede vnder the erthe and some saye that xxvij scrabones sholde slee a chylbe of vij yere of age Cap. C.iiij SCrabei come also of the roteÌ„ flessh of an horse as scrabones dothe they be flyenge wormes they haue no styÌ„ge but thei haue hornes splayed and wherw t they nype they be mo che in the corne sedys where as thei do moche harme and some name these hornes The Operacion Plinius sayth A woman that hathe her diseas yf she be naked go rownd about the corne or sede than falle all y e Scrabeyes and hornesses of and also all other veymous bestes or wormes Scrabeis brayed asonder and layd in oyle than y t oyle layd or dropped in a maÌ„nes ear is good for y e payÌ„es therof Cap. c.v. SInifes be the smal gnattys y t flye gladly about y e brethes of y e bestes and also of the people they flie often in folkes iyen and they â—â—tethe people oftentimes haue euyll reste and trowble them oftentymes of theyr slepe Cap. C.vi THe strix flyeth by night he lo ueth his yonges very well for he droppeth moystnes of mylke in theyr mouthes Selantides be byrdes that no man knoweth frome whens they come nor whyther they wyll become but they come to y e helpe of the people y t dwell by the montaynes of cassine y e whiche be sore enoyed w t the hayspringers thaÌ„ come these birdes ete these hayspriÌ„gers lowse theÌ„ their fru tes of all their scathes thaÌ„ they flie away agayne where they become no man can tell Cap. C. vij· THe Ostryche is a beste som wyll nat reken him for a birde but he is a parte lyke a birde a parte lyke a beste he hath in a maner a fassyon as yf it were winges he listeth himself vp to assay for to flee ofteÌ„times but it will nat be for they be nat euyÌ„ federed but as yf they ware hery and so is all the fore part of his body lyker here